Plans to build a $140-million sports entertainment center on Market Street South are moving forward.
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City councilors, at a special committee meeting on Tuesday, recommended for approval a financial plan to build a new arena and event center. The recommendation was unanimous and will come to city council for approval on Oct. 29.
“For me, this is a historic night for our community, for our city,” Coun. John Sless (Ward 2), said. “We’re stepping out from underneath what I would call an inferiority complex about ourselves.
“We haven’t felt good about ourselves since the 1980s when everything kind of went sideways on us.”
The city has grown out of those tough times and has become a different community, Sless said.
Sless said the first season of Brantford Bulldogs hockey in the city generated excitement and pride.
The civic center is being called the “Madhouse on Market” because that is what it is when the Bulldogs play a home game, Sless said.
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The Bulldogs players are “fine gentlemen” and excellent role models who visit local schools speaking to students, Sless said.
Plans call for the center to be financed through a debt of $140 million. The debt would be serviced through a combination of municipal land sales, operator capital contributions and money generated by a corporate sponsorship campaign.
Other sources of revenue include incremental taxes from developments in the entertainment district – the lower area of the downtown that includes Market Street South.
The city, with approval of a new center, aims to create an entertainment district in the lower downtown area.
City officials believe property taxes from new developments in the area will generate an estimated $9 million annually. The sale of properties at 42-46 Erie Avenue and 41 Dalhousie Street, are expected to generate between $5.1 million and $7 million in proceeds.
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Prior to the discussion and the vote, councilors were provided with information about major developments planned for the area of Market Street South.
Several councilors addressed concerns raised by residents who have questioned the need for a new center.
“I’ve heard a lot of residents who have said we need a hospital more than we need a sports entertainment center,” Coun. Linda Hunt (Ward 4) said. “My answer to that has always been is that the hospital is the purview of the province and that this council cannot build a hospital.
“As Coun. (Michael) Sullivan said, even if we had the money we wouldn’t be getting it until 2035.”
Hunt said the biggest reason why she’s supporting the new arena is that the taxpayer doesn’t have to pay for the sports and entertainment center.
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“I think we’ve outlined that the taxpayer will not be paying for the sports and entertainment center,” Hunt said. “And that’s probably one of the most crucial tipping points when I’ve been talking to people is that it will not affect their property tax bill.
“The taxpayer is not funding the sports and entertainment center.”
But while most councilors spoke in favor of the proposal, Coun. Richard Carpenter and two residents who appeared as delegations raised questions about the plan.
“I’m having trouble squaring this with a few things,” Carpenter said.
The Ward 4 councilor said it wasn’t that long ago, within the last five or six years, that council decided it needed to sell Arrowdale, a municipally-operated golf course, to fund affordable housing.
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There wasn’t any talk of using incremental tax increases to fund affordable housing then. The city doesn’t actually make any annual funding commitment in support of housing, Carpenter said.
“Then, I look back at all the times we’ve talked about downtown revitalization,” Carpenter said. “We’ve talked about it for as long as I can remember.”
At one time, the Eaton mall was going to save downtown and then it was the university and now the city is saying the arena will save the downtown, Carpenter said.
Prior to the discussion, councilors heard from three residents.
Mark Dremak and Kim Harrison raised concerns about the proposal while Matt Allman is an enthusiastic supporter of the plan.
“I see this an investment,” Allman said. “It’s Brantford telling its citizens and businesses ‘get ready, we’re growing up.’”
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Dremak however, raised several concerns including the $140 million financing for the project and the fast-track timing is not being applied to the hospital as a first priority.
“A hospital would serve 100 per cent of the constituents verses the five per cent that could attend a hockey game,” Dremak said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m a current Brantford Bulldogs season ticket holder.
“I’m entirely in support of a new rink that is put in place by a well negotiated agreement with the team.”
Dremak said the best way to pressure the provincial government into putting in a critical need hospital is to have $200 million in the bank verses taking debentures out for a new hockey rink.
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